


To Requite the Unrequited

by Amand_r



Category: Dresden Files - Jim Butcher
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-01-26
Updated: 2011-01-26
Packaged: 2017-10-15 02:57:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/156322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amand_r/pseuds/Amand_r
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He didn't like to think about this stuff because Molly was, after all, an apprentice, and that was a hell of a lot different from being a full Wizard or Warden. Sure the age difference was there, but he wasn't too worried about that. Really, it was like, five years, and while those five years made all the difference, wizards lived a long time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Requite the Unrequited

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Priscellie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Priscellie/gifts).



> Written for Yuletide 2008. So I had never really given Molly/Carlos much thought until I got this request, and now that I see it I CAN'T UNSEE IT AND THAT IS AWESOME. Also? I think I am to be commended for putting neither a "Flogging Molly" nor "Mollywobbles" joke anywhere in this. Heh. Mollywobbles.

It started when he saw the bellybutton ring. Molly was sitting across from him at the campfire and in the process of taking off her sweatshirt and he saw it. There. At the navel. Where the bellybutton most oftenly was. It wasn't complicated, just a little ring of silver that, in the split second that Carlos glimpsed it, gave a little saucy wink in the firelight and he thought to himself, _I am in so much trouble._

Harry was sprawled out next to him, head using a log as a pillow, perhaps not even awake, and Luccio and Morgan were in a meeting of higher ups in the actual tent. Ramirez and Dresden and Molly of course didn't merit a tent, which kind of sucked, because it was wet. They were only there in a consulting capacity anyway, and Ramirez was kind of glad about that, because Maine in April was wet and cold and all levels of nasty that he didn't get in Los Angeles.

None of this seemed to matter by the fire, where they were all temporarily dry and warm, warm enough for Molly to take off her sweatshirt and flash him accidentally when the T-shirt rode up. He also got to see her bra, which was deliciously pink and lacy. Hot pink. The kind of hot pink you should have to show ID to buy, because only girls between the ages of sixteen and twenty-one could pull it off.

He didn't like to think about this stuff because Molly was, after all, an apprentice, and that was a hell of a lot different from being a full Wizard or Warden. Sure the age difference was there, but he wasn't too worried about that. Really, it was like, five years, and while those five years made all the difference, wizards lived a long time.

He didn't like to think about it, really, because of the fact that at least once a week, someone tried to kill him, and if he extended the theory to Molly, that meant that someone was trying to kill her at least once a month. If Harry was anywhere near as good as he seemed to be, that number was probably every other month.

That was six times too many, then.

Carlos didn't think worrying about someone else when he was supposed to be covering his own ass, and the respective asses of his trainees and co-workers, was a good idea. He _knew_ it wasn't a good idea. Morgan told him so all the time. Every time he looked at some girl. Or some girl's legs. Or where her legs met her back, or that whole area.

Carlos watched Molly shift in her sleep and wondered when was the last time Morgan had gotten laid. Then he wondered if he wasn't just speculating about that because Molly had shown him her piercings the day before, all flirty and smiling when they had waited at the drop off point for their window to the Nevernever to open. Carlos wasn't sure if she just liked him because he saved her ass once or twice, or because he was a Warden (though he severely doubted _that_ ), or if she genuinely thought he was worth pursuing.

Molly snorted in her sleep. Mouse circled her curled up for once, then settled himself in, his large frame leaning against her back. He blinked at Carlos once, twice, and then yawned.

He kept meaning to ask Harry if the dog could read minds.

So no, Molly, and her delicious piercings, her hot pink bra and her in general _____ was on the back burner. Maybe after the war ended. _If_ the war ended. And also provided they survived the war, which was something that Carlos counted on deeply. He had told his mother that he was going to buy her a house in Reseda, and he planned on following through on that.

Molly was still sound asleep when Luccio pulled back the curtain and called out to him and Harry, and they rolled about on the ground for a second, muddled in the late night darkness. Carlos thought to himself that he was probably damn lucky that it was Luccio, because if Morgan had caught them asleep with no watch, he probably would have smacked them all silly. Actually, Luccio probably would have done the same, but she seemed to have a fond spot for Harry these days. She probably had several fond spots for Harry.

Carlos smirked and followed them into the tent, glancing back at Molly long enough to see that Mouse had curled about her frame, his head resting on her thighs. _Lucky ass dog._

Mouse lifted his head and stared at Carlos. He shuddered and closed the tent flap behind him.

Luccio and Morgan huddled over a table that was laden with maps. The kerosene lamps made Carlos wish for a flashlight that their combined powers wouldn't shatter. The wind kicked up and a nearby tree slapped against the pointed tarpaulin roof.

Morgan pulled a map out from under another stack of maps. "We have movement on the East Coast, and we're waiting for confirmation of activity outside of Sacramento," he began.

"Why are we in Maine?" Harry griped. "It's cold, and I'm old and creaky. Like the tin man."

One corner of Luccio's mouth quirked up. Carlos thought he heard Morgan sigh, but it was hard to tell. "We're in Maine because Luccio and I have business up here. Your assignment is an afterthought."

No one said anything as Luccio pointed to a series of raised bumps on the uppermost map. "We know that they have factions planted in the hills here and here." She pointed to the edges of the Blue Ridge Mountains, thankfully way out of the way from any cities.

"And we know that they have at least three dozen trolls that they enticed away from the Winter Court," Morgan added, glaring. "We know that Mab hasn't challenged their leaving."

"And knowing is half the battle," Harry muttered cheerfully. Carlos resisted the urge to smirk when Morgan glared at him too, as if by standing next to Harry he was guilty by location.

Luccio sighed, but didn't say anything disparaging. Instead, she wiped her brow. "It would have been much easier to clean out these nests and meeting places on the East Coast if the Reds didn't insist on bribing members of the Winter Court."

Harry shrugged. "They probably promised them babies." He looked at Carlos in all seriousness. "Trolls love babies."

He was going to make a joke about bacon, but Morgan's eyes seemed to bore into his courage. Besides, it wasn't funny. He had a six-month-old niece at home in LA, and the thought of any creature touching her for a meal made him sick.

"Dresden, we want you to go down to the hills with Ramirez and take command of the unit there. Ever since the Patterson died three months ago, we haven't had opportunity to replace him." Morgan smoothed a hand over the paper of the map. "Does that apprentice of yours do anything aside from dye her hair and violate the Laws of Magic?"

There was a split second of silence, in which Carlos considered the very awesome idea of Harry decking Morgan in the tent and the ensuing chaos that would follow. Instead, "She's very good at veils, better than I am. Better than Carlos." He turned to Carlos. "Sorry, man."

Carlos grinned. "Naw man, I'm secure in my coolness." He glanced at Luccio's evaluating face. "She's pretty good."

Harry shrugged. "She's not going to be very useful in battle. I wouldn't have brought her, but I lost a bet." He smiled then. "She's good at decoupage. Is that helpful?"

Morgan shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"Wait," Carlos muttered, "I thought that was decolletage." As if on cue, the kerosene lamp went out and had to be relit.

Harry raised a critical eyebrow. "Now I know to get you a thesaurus for your birthday."

***

Twenty minutes later, they were all still alive and no one had been decked. A productive meeting for all.

"You lost a bet?" Carlos asked Harry when they left the tent. Harry shrugged and dug around in his pack on the ground while Molly stretched and yawned, her hair sticking up in all directions. Or maybe that was just the style. Carlos couldn't tell. More appropriately, it didn't even matter.

"Oh," she said with a sleepy smile, "are you telling him about your miserable pool skills?" She pulled her sweatshirt over her head, and for another second in the act of reaching up, Carlos saw a glint of silver. It was distracting, and not in a good way. It was a good thing they were being split up.

Harry scooped up a small bag by the strap and tossed it at Molly. "Saddle up and tie that chain mail down this time. You and Mouse are going to be doing perimeter runs with Luccio. I'll be with Carlos and Morgan on the inner defensive."

Carlos watched her catch the bag one-handed and regard Harry skeptically before merely opening the flaps and pulling out the chain shirt. It was heavy and knee length and Carlos made a mental note to get her a kevlar vest and coat for her birthday, once he found out when her birthday was.

"Is this one of those things I should never mention to my mother?" she asked as her arms struggled with the chain shirt, her arms straight in the air. She jumped up and down to facilitate the curtain of metal to slide down her frame. Carlos stopped bothering to look elsewhere and instead wondered why he would ever buy Molly anything other than chain mail.

"What did I tell you?" Harry said distractedly. He was pulling a mess of straps from a thin bag, which he crumpled up and stuffed into a pocket of the straps. Ingenious, that. Mouse sidled up next to him and rolled his eyes at Carlos.

Molly smoothed the chain with one ungloved hand. "When she asks, all we do is play Scrabble."

"Really?" Harry stopped and looked up at Carlos. "I would never have said Scrabble."

Luccio threw a roll of toilet paper at Harry and it bounced off his skull. "Use the facilities while you can," she muttered before treking out into the foliage. Molly shrugged and followed her.

Carlos watched Morgan stalk off into the darkness, probably back to the portal site they'd used previously. It was easier to open one in a spot where one had been opened before, and while he wasn't really keen on walking through the Nevernever again, Carlos had to admit that it was better than the Amtrak station.

He was glad that he hadn't packed a bag, because he didn't like going into battle with extra stuff, and if he lost one more Jansport backpack, his mother was going to think he was running drugs or something. So he busied himself strapping on all the weaponry he'd brought while Harry saddled up Mouse.

"Hey Harry," he said under his breath. Molly and Luccio were out of earshot, but it never hurt to be careful. "What do you think of Molly?"

Harry glanced at him from his kneeling position beside Mouse, who was suffering the application of the packs Harry was strapping to his harness with the patience of a saint. Carlos felt for him; it also reminded him that he had a few things he needed to strap on as well.

"I think," Harry mumbled, as he tugged the last of the straps and stood, his knees making a clicking sound. "That she's a pain in my butt." He sat back and stared into space. "I also think she might cheat at pool."

Carlos sighed and stretched, smiling. Sometimes it was perfectly obvious that Harry wasn't happy unless he was kvetching. "Still, she's got a lot of spirit. I don't know, what do you think? Do you think an apprentice and a guy like me..."

Harry's lip twitched. "No." His face froze then, as if he was indecisive about what he was doing, and then it crumpled as he sighed. "Look, I was going for the Luke Skywalker approach, but it isn't working." He slapped Carlos's arm, a little hard, too. "You go for it, but remember that her dad has access to weaponry and he knows how to use it." His face sobered. "Oh, and also, I think Jesus protects their family. Food for thought when you're, uhm, you know."

Carlos stared at him dully. "That was cruel, man."

Harry grinned. "I aim to please."

"It is kind of sad though, isn't it? The way we joke around before heading to our dooms."

Harry pulled a pair of leather gloves over his hands. His fingers poked through the cut off tips. "Speak for yourself. I fully intend on living to see the next time I almost get killed. Besides, it builds character. You know, like syphilis."

"Thanks for the visual. You really don't want me dating Molly, do you?" Carlos grimaced and strapped the sword to his waist. He still wasn't a fan of the sword, but then again, that much cold iron around the faerie was probably an asset. The gun would be better; he checked the magazine twice as he waited for the others to return from the woods.

Harry clapped his shoulder again. "I don't really have much say in who Molly dates," he said. "She could do worse." He paused. "I'm pretty sure she has done worse."

Carlos was going to ask what all that meant when the two women returned from the forest, Molly lobbing the roll of toilet paper at Harry. "I hate the woods," she said loudly. Beside her, Mouse snuffled once in agreement, possibly because he was covered in packs like a sherpa, or possibly because his long belly fur was visibly matted with dried leaves. He just needed a barrel under his neck, and he would have been all set to go rescue some avalanche victims.

Carlos wished it was just avalanche victims.

"Okay then," he said as Morgan called to him from the perimeter. "My taxi is leaving." He started walking backwards and waved to Luccio and Molly. Well, he was waving to Molly. Luccio didn't care if he waved. Morgan yelled again.

"Ramirez," Molly called to him before he took off. He skidded to a stop just a little and pivoted to her, his arms flailing in a most uncouth manner. Like a demented pinwheel. _Classy. That's gonna charm her._

She breezed into him then, almost running into him, and he was a little sad that she hadn't before realizing that he was becoming one of the world's biggest perverts. He lowered his pulled sword then, so he wouldn't kill anyone by accident, and paused long enough to let her grab his hand.

Molly dropped the navel ring into the palm of his hand and closed his fingers on it. "I expect you to put that back, _right where it came from_ , understand?

Carlos opened his hand and stared at the ring of silver for a moment before it dawned on him. He closed the hand and wondered what the appropriate response to this should be: nonchalant? romantic? macho?

He didn't have to wonder, because Molly leaned forward and kissed him then, quickly, too quickly for anything _rowr,_ but nice all the same. Carlos was trying to remember any number of the techniques that he had come up with in his daydream fantasies when she danced back, her coltish legs buckling at the knees, and then she bolted off after Dresden.

Carlos looked at the ring again. "Right where it came from," he repeated to himself. Morgan yelled something off to his far right, and he knew that the portal was open and he was needed elsewhere. That was okay, he was spoiling for a little bit of kick ass.

Besides, he had to a bit of jewelry to return.

END


End file.
